How to doctor canned refried beans

Canned refried beans are a cabinet staple in most Mexican homes, but you can expand your flavor options by doctoring your beans in a few easy steps.

If you’re like me, you probably keep a can or two of refried beans in the cabinet at all times. In fact, I usually keep a can of refried pinto beans and a can of refried black beans in there because one can never be too sure when an occasion requiring beans could arise in a Mexican-American household. Am I right?

And while you may be perfectly OK with always eating the same beans out of a can, you have no idea what you’re missing out on if you’d just play with your food a little bit!

The brand I prefer to buy most often and stock in my own kitchen cabinets is called La Costeña. There are lots of brands of refried beans out there, and I say go with whatever you like. If you want to eat organic refried beans, go nuts. Some canned refried beans have chiles in them and some don’t (I like them better with chiles). I’m generally not a fan of the vegetarian refried beans, but if that’s your thing, do you.

But the reason I’m writing this post is that it’s come to my attention that some people I know don’t know how to prepare canned refried beans. So, I’m going to write it all out so nobody has any excuses.

I know some of you might be reading this and saying to yourselves, “did she really just say she’s going to teach me how to make refried beans from a can?” Yes, friend. I did. There are a lot of people who search the internet for how to cook refried beans from a can, and it’s because they genuinely don’t know. So if you’re new here and you didn’t grow up eating refried beans or nobody has ever taught you before, welcome to a judgment-free zone to learn how to make yourself some good canned refried beans. And if this is a trick you already know, please pass it on to your friends who are most likely to be googling how to do it.

First, let’s talk about the oil that comes in the can with most refried beans. A lot of people ask me if you need to use it. I’m sure other people will give you different answers if you ask how they do it, but most of the time, I discard about three-quarters of the oil in the can because I don’t like my refried beans to be really greasy. Some brands of vegetarian refried beans don’t have oil in the can, and I find they can be a little dry. If you find that’s the case, you can add about a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the frying pan when you cook them.

My two favorite ways to doctor canned refried beans are:

With Mexican chorizo (the crumbly kind of chorizo, which comes made with pork or beef… and if you want to get weird, you can also try soyrizo)

Crushed chicharrón (also known as chicharrón delgado or chicharrón duro)

If you have a small household, you can also use one can of beans, split it in half and put chorizo in one half, and crushed chicharrón in the other half. Best of both worlds without any beans going to waste! The recipes below are for a full-size can, so you can cut the add-ins in half if you want to do the half-and-half method if you’re only feeding 1-2 people.

HOW TO DOCTOR CANNED REFRIED BEANS WITH MEXICAN CHORIZO

Refried beans with chorizo is my favorite filling for chiles rellenos. These are also great for eating as a side! (I won’t judge you if you just eat them with a spoon.) Spread them on a tortilla with a fried egg on top for breakfast. Lots of possibilities here!

Ingredients

Instructions

In a frying pan, cook the chorizo over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a spatula or wooden spoon until it's crumbled and cooked through.

Transfer cooked chorizo to a dish and set aside.

Reduce the heat and use a paper towel to remove most of the grease left behind from the chorizo.

Open the can of refried beans and drain most of the liquid out, leaving just a little bit (a tablespoon or less). Turn the heat back to medium and spoon the beans from the can into the frying pan. Stir occasionally until the beans are heated through.

Add the cooked chorizo and stir to fully incorporate. Heat for another minute, then remove pan from heat and serve.

CuisineMexican

HOW TO DOCTOR CANNED REFRIED BEANS WITH CRUSHED CHICHARRÓN

These also go great as a stuffing for chiles rellenos, spread on hearty tortilla chips to make nachos, or in a burrito.

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Hi, I'm Maura Hernández. Welcome to my kitchen! I'm an award-winning food and travel blogger, recipe developer, and journalist sharing my passion for all things Mexico. Married to a Chilango, I've traveled Mexico extensively for the last decade. On The Other Side of The Tortilla, you'll find a mix of traditional and modern Mexican cooking, along with my advice on where to eat, stay and play on your visit to Mexico! READ MORE ABOUT ME...

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